Feeder



P 1953 s. c. BAEHR arm. 2,652,139

FEEDER Eiled Jan. 15, 1952 3 Shee'tS-Sheeb- 2 INVTOR. svwamaz c. R- i ALEXANDER m.

Sept. 15, 1953 s. c. BAEHR ETAL FEEDER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 15, 1952 wmwvaw Patented Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FEEDER Application J anuary 15, 1952, Serie! N0. 266,578

19 Claims.

The invention relates in general to devices for feeding articles one by one, and more particularly to a machine for uniformly positioning irregularly shaped articles and intermittently feeding them through the machine.

While this machine may be adapted to feed articles having various irregular shapes, it is designed especially foi feeding commutator bars each of which is provioled with a terminal lug at one end Which projects outwardly beyond the surface of the finished commutator. Obviously, as these bare are being assemloled in a subsequent operation it is neoessary that they be fed to the assemblihg machine in such manner that the sameei1cl of each bar will be arranged in the same dirction relative to the direotion of feedins. However, sme of these bars are received by the maehine with the terminal lugs at the advance ende and others with the lugs at the trailing ende, and lt is the function of the machine to turn the incorrectly arranged bars and to uniformly position them before being discharged from the device.

The principal object of the invention is theref'ore, to provide a feeding deVice which will receive irregularly shaped articles in random longitudinal positions and turn them to the correct positions before they are fed from the machine.

Another object is to proviole a device haVing a turntable to receive articles at substantially right angles to the path of discharge and to turn the articles so as to eorlectl; position them.

A further objeot is to provide actuating cams to rotate the turntable in a direction indicatecl by nhe position of the article when reoeived by the table, and to thereby correctly position the same.

Moreover, the device is providecl With means for holding the articles within the turntable as they are belng moved therawith.

Moreover, safety means are providecl to stop the machine if for any reason tlie clischarge chute should become overloadecl, er in the event that the articles are fed too fast to be received for subsequent treatment.

Furthermore, the device is of such nature that some projection 01 irregular shape of the article provicles the means for rotating the turntable and Tor determining the correct direction of rotation thereof.

The above objects have been accomplishecl by the deviee shown in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a pla'n view of the eomplete device shown in a horizontal plane;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged isometrical perspective view showing the turntable of the device and the cooperatlng chutes;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken 011 line IIIIII of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 ls an enlarged end elevation of the device from the ejector end thereof;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the detent means for the turntable;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the clevice taken on line VIIVII of Fig. 1, and shows the parts in position opposite to those shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged fragmentary detailecl views of the turntable showing articles fed therein and occupying the two different positions; and,

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line XX of Fig. 2.

The device comprises a longitudinally arranged carriage I5 which slidably supports a cam slide I6 at one end and an ejector slide 233 at the other end. These slides are disposed in suitable grooves 0r ways 2i and are retained in position by means cf retaining plates 22. Extending from one side of the carriage is a platform 23 which supports a hell crank 24. The hell crank is carried by a suitable stud 34 and is providecl With an outwarclly projecting arm 33. A drive shaft 25 is suitably supported by the platform 23 and is rotated by means of a sprocket wheel 25 and a chain 27 driven by any suitable power means -(not shown). An actuating disc 28 is also rotatably mounted upon the platform 23 and is driven 'by the shaft 25 through a pair of bevelecl gears 311 The disc 28 carries a crank pin 31 upon whih one end of a link 32 is mounteol. The other end of the link is pivotally attached to the arm 33 of the hell crank 2 3. Also mounted upon the stud 34 is one end of a hell crank lever 35 Which is held in adjustable position by .means cf screws 36 earried by the hell crank and arranged one on each side cf the lever 35 .for adjustment thereof. The outer end of the he'll crank lever5 is providecl with a slot 46 in which is jsliblably mounted a slide block 4i. The block 41 is mounted upon a slide stud 42 carried by the lug of an .outer index arm 16 which is attached to the cam slide I6. The slide I5 is provided With .a longitudinal passageway 43 whioh is spanned by aeross member 39. A discharge ahnte 44 'is attached to the carriage and is disposed within the passageway 43. The

outer end of the channel II of the discharge chute is preferably enclosed by means of a cover plate 31.

Arranged near the center of the longitudinal carriage is an interrnittent feeding device 41 which comprises a feed block 48 formed with a channel 59 which is partly covered by plates 57 and 68 for the passage of articles as they come from the feed ahnte I. It is preferable that the articles be fed to the device by gravity so that the carriage is inclined somewhat toward the vertical whereby articles coming from the feed ahnte 5! will drop into the channel 50 of the intermittent indexing device. For clearness of illustration, however, the device is shown in a horizontal plane, and all of the sectional views are shown in a similar plane.

The intermittent feeding device comprises two index pins 52 and 53. The pin 52 is carried by the outer index arm 46 and the pin 53 is carried by an inner index arm 54. The inner arm 54 is attached to the ejector slide 20 and is counected to the outer arm 46 by means of a connecting bar 55, whereby both indexing arms are reciorocated in unison. The pins 52 and 53 are each engageable With a separate aperture 55 and. EG, respectively, formed in the feed block and spaced apart a distance equai to the distance between the bottoms cf the V-shaped notches 61 formed in the article 62. The pins are so positioned and are of such length that when pin 52 is in engagement with the upper article as shown in Fig. 1, the lower or inner pin 53 is withdrawn from its aperture and has rcleased the preceding article. As the pin 53 is fed. into its aperture and is disposed across the channel 50 of the block, the pin 52 Will be withdrawn to a position where the article support ed by the 1atter will be released and Will be a1- lowed to fall onto the pin 53 which W111 prevent its being discharged through the feed ahnte until it is released by the reverse reciprocation of this pin, whereupon the pin 52 which has again been disposed across the channel 50 Will support the next successive article. The pin 52 is preferably snring pressed, as shown in Fig. 1, whereby shou1d it contact a workpiece a5 it is being fed. forwardly it will al1ow ful1 movement of the arm 46 unti1 the next stroke when it will be svnchronized with the workpiece fed.

A turntable 63, mounted upon a turntable shaft 64 is rotatably supported in a turntable block 18 attached to the carriage I5. The turntable is so disposed as to have its axis a1: substantially the p0int of intersection of the discharge ahnte and the feed chute and it is formed with grooves 55 and arranged at substantially right angles to each other, whereby when the groove 65 is in registration With the channel 50 of the feed block, the groove 10 will be in registration with the channel H formed in the discharge chute, whereby an article 62 when depositeol in the groove 66 will register with the channel EI of the discharge ahnte When the turntable is rotated 90, -as hereinafter described.

Ca1ried by the cam slide I6 is an inner actuating cam 12 and an outer actuating cam 73. These cams are preferably in the form of flat plates which are secured to and reciprocated with the cam slide. A channel 74 is formed between them which is of substantially the same width as the channel II of the discharge chute M. The inner actuating cam 12 is longer than the cam 13 and is provided with a tapered point formed by a wedge shape surface I! and provided with an inclined under-surface 16 for purposes to be hereinafter described. This cam is formed With a biunt end which engages the upwardly extending terminal lug 8I of the article when fed in the direction indicated in the perspective view. When this article has reached the groove 66 of the turntable the terminal lu 81 Will be at the upper end of the groove, and When the inner actuating cam is now moved toward the turntable the b1unt end 80 Will engage the lug and serve to move the turntable with the article in clockwise direction. After the initia1 movement, the 1ug 81 will engage inclined or tapered surfa-ce 11 of the cam and will continue to rotate the turntable until the groove 66 has been moved through an arc of 90 from its initial position, whereupon it Will be in line With the channel H of the discharge chute. Should the article be fed With the terminal lug at the advance end or disposed at the lower end of the groove 56, it will then be engaged by the front or advance end 82 of the outer actu ating cam 73. This cam Will serve to rotate the turntable in counterclockwise direction and to caus the terminal 1ug to be disposed also at the trailing end, as was the artic1e previously described, so that when ejected, as will hereinafter be apparent, into the channel II of the discharge ahnte, the articles will be arranged in the same endvvise position.

The turntable block 18 carries a hold-down p1ate 84 which extends into an annular groove 83 formed in the periphery of the turntable 63. When an article 62 positioned as that shown in the perspective view is fed into the groove 66,r the V-shaped notch of the article at the advance end o1 the end opposite the terminai 1ug; Will engage the hold-down plate and serve tl1 retain the article within the turntable groove When the arti-cle is fed in the opposite direction the end opposite the terminal 111g will be hold in place by means of the forward end of the inne-r actuating cam I2. The inclined surface 16 cf this end Will ride over the top of the article to prevent it from projecting above the surface of the turntable.

The ejector slide 20 is mounted in the same ways 2I as the cam slide 15 and it is connecterl to the cam slio'le by means cf the connecting bar 55, whereby both slides are reciprocated in unison. An ejector housing is carried by the com necting plate and it is provideol with an ejector lug 85. The lug 85 is mounted upon an ejector rod 92 Which is slidably mounted within the housing and which extends some distance beyond the rear end thereof. The lug is kept in its forward position by means of an ejector spring 86. 'Ihis spring is of such strength as to feed the artic1e without becoming compressed. Suitable stops and 9I fixed to the housing serve to limit the predetermined travel of the ejector 1ug. The housing is providecl at its rear end With a switch plate 93 upon which is mounted a micro switch 94. The spring arm 95 of this switch lies within the path of movement of the 1ear end of the ejector rod, and when the ejector spring is compressed for any reason the ejector rod Will be pushed backwardly against the tension of the spring, and. the micro switch Will be actuated to cause the motor which drives the device to be stopped. 'Ihis is a precautionary method to prevent jamming of the articles should the discharge chute be prematurely filled 01 be interrupted in this passage through the device by any means whatsoever. The ejector lug tnrntable grooves for delivering artiales thereto, a delivery ahnt in line with the other groove to reaeive artiales from saial tnrntable, interm1ttently actnated means engageable with eaah of the artiales when disposed in the first mentioned groove of the tnrntable to rotate the same and to theraby correatly position the artiale so that the groove containing the Same Will be in registration with seid disaharge ahnte, and means for ejeating the correatly positioned artiales from said turntable and feeding them into said disaharge ahnte.

8. A feeding device f01 irregnlarly shaped artiales, aomprising a feed ahnte having a ahannel for reaeiving and feeding artiales, a discharge ahnte f01 reaeiving artiales fed thereto, seid feed ahnte and said clisaharge ahnte being arranged at right angles to each other, a tnrntable formed with artialeweaeiving grooveg and having its axis at substantially the point of interseation of the ahannels of the feed and disaha1g ahntes, means engaging the artiale cantained in one of the grooves to correatly pasition it for delivery to seid discharge ahnte, and means for ejeating the aor" reatly pasitioned. artiale from the graove of the tnrntable and feecling it into the disaharge ahnte.

9. A feeding deviae fr irregnlarly shaped artiales, aomprising a feecl ahnte having a ahannel Tor reaeiving and Ieeding artiales, a disaharge ahnte for reaeiving artiales fecl thereto, said feed ahnte and saicl disaharge ahnte baing arranged at 1ight angles to eaah other, a tn1ntable formed with artiale-reaeiving grooves and having its axis at snbstantially the point 01 interseation 0f the ahannels of the feed anal disaharge ahntes, Ieeding means aarried by saicl feed ahnte for feeding artiales one at a time therethrongh to b-e maeived by one of the grooves of said tnrntable, means engaging the artiale aontained in one of the grooves to correatly position it f0i delivery to said disaharg ahnte, and means for ejeating the 001- rectly positioned artiale from the groove of the tnrntable and feealing it into the discharge ahnte.

10. A feeoling deviae for irregnlarly shaped. arti ales, aomprising a tnrntable for reaeiving the arti a1es, a feed block adjaaent the tnrntable and formed with a longitudinal ahannel, spaaed index pins engageable with apertnres forrned in the feed block and disposable aarass the ahannel of said block, means far reaiproaating such pins for a1- ternate engagement with the apertnres of the block to feed artiales, into the tnrntable one at a time, a disaharg'e ahnte to reaeive artiales frorn the tnrntable, means for engaging the artiales when reaeived by the tnrntable t0 correatly position them for delivery to said disaharge ahnte, anal means aatnated in nnison with the reaiproaating movement cf the index ping for ejeating the correatly pasitioned artiale from the tnrntable and feeding it into the disaharge ahnte.

11. A feeding clevice f01' irregnlarly shaped artiales, aomprising a tnrntable formed with two diametriaal grooves f0r alternately reaeiving artiales fed thereto, a feed ahnte registering with one of the grooves of said. table, a disaharge ahnte in registration with the other groove 0f the table, two spaced intermittently-aatnated aams arranged f01 passage over the top 01 the tnrntable and engagement with an artia1e disposed in the tnrntable groove Whiah is in registration with the feed ahnte, whereby either aam Will engage the artiale disposed. in the tnrntable t0 rotate the latter and thereby position the article for feeoling it into the disaharge ahnte, anal means for ejeating the correatly positioned artiale from the turntable and feeoling it into the discharge ahnte.

12. A feeding device for irregnlarly shaped artiales, aomprising a ahnte slide anal an ejeator slide movably mounted in snitable ways and aatnated in nnison, a disaharge ahnte in aoacting relationship with the ahnte slide, and an ejeator aarried by the ejeator slide, a feed ahnte arranged at right angle to the disaharge ahnte and loaated between the ahnte slide and the ejeator slide, a turntable rotatably disposed at the point of intersection of the disaharge ahnte and the feed ahnte and formed with grooves for reaeiving artiales from the feed ahnte, means engaging an artiale aarried by the turntable to correatly position it for delivery to said disaharge ahnte, and means aarried by the ejeator slicle for ejecting the correatly positioned artiales from the tnrntable and feeding it into the disaharge ahnte.

13. A feeding deviae for irregnlarly shaped a1- tia1es, comprising a ahnte slide and an ejeator slide movably monnted in snitable ways and actaated in nnison, a disaharge ahnte in aaacting relationship with the ahnte slide, and an ejeator aarried by the ejeator s1ide, a feed ahnte arrangecl at right angles to the discharge ahnte anal located between the ahnte s1iole and the ejeator slide, a tnrntable rotatably disposed at the point of interseation of the disaharge ahnte and. the feed ahnte and formed with grooves for reaeiving artiales f1om the faed ahnte, means engaging an artiale carried by the tnrntable to correatly position it for delivery to said discharge ahnte, means aarried by the ejeator s1ide for ejecting the correatly positioned artiales from the tnrntable and feeoling it into the disaharge ahnte, and a detent spring adjaaent the disaharge ahnte to engage eaah artiale as it is ejeated from the turntable.

14. A feeding deviae for irregnlarly shaped artiales, aomprising a reaiproaating slide ahnte, a reaiprocating ejeator ahnte, said ahntes being oppositely arranged. in spaaed relation with eaah other anal being aonneated for nnison aatnation, a turntable rotatably disposed in the spaae between the slides anal formed with means for reaeiving artiales, means for feeding artiales to said tnrntable, means aarried by said ahnte slide for engagement with an artiale aarried by the tnrntable to rotate the latter t0 correatly position the artiales, a disaharge ahnte for reaeiving artiales from said tnrntable, and means aarried by said. ejeator s1icle to ejeat the artiales f1om the tnrntable and feed them into said disaharge ahnte.

15. A feeding deviae for irregnlarly shaped artiales, aomprising a tnrntable for reaeiving artiales, an aatnating aam reaiproaally monnted for passage over said tnrntable, said aam being engageable with the artiales aarried by said turntable to correatly position them for disaharge from the latter, a disaharge ahnte for reaeiving the artiales from said tnrntable anal ejeator means for feeding the artiales into said disaharge ahnte.

16. A feeding deviae for irregnlarly shaped a1- tiales, aomprising a turntable for receiving artiales, an aatnating aam reaiproaally monnted for passage over seid tnrntable, seid aam being engageable with the artiales aarried by said turntable to correatly position them for disaharge from the latter, a discharge ahnte for reaeiving the artiales from said tnrntable and ejeator means conneated to and actnated in synchronisrn with said aam for feeding the artiales into said disaharge.

17. A feeding device for irregnlarly sahped artiales, aomprising a tnrntable formed with two article receiving grooves arranged at right angles to each other, means for feeding articles one at a time alternately to ea.ch cf the grooves of said turntable, an inner actuating cam, an outer accuating cam, said cams being spaced on each side of the axis of the turntable and movable over the upper face thereof t engage articles disposed Within the grooves 110 rotate the turntable and thereby eorrectly position the articles for discharge therefrom, a discharge chute for receiving 1she articles from said turntable, and ejector means for feeding the articles into said discharge chute.

18. A feeding device for irregularly shapecl articles, comprising a turntable formed With two article receiving grooves arranged ab right angles to each other, a feed chute in registration with one of the turntable grooves, a discharge ahnte in registration with the other groove, an inner actuating cam, an outer actuating cam, said cams being reciprocated in planes parallel 130 the longitudinal plane cf said discharge ahnte and movab1e over the upper face of said turntable to en- 10 gage articles disposed within the groove thereof correctly position them for discharge therefrom, and ejector means for feeding the articles into said discharge chute.

19. A feeding device f0r irregularly shaped articles, comprising a turntable formed With article-receiving grooves, means for feeding articles one a1; a time in endwise random positions to the turntable grooves, positioning means engageable with the articles disposed within the grooves for rotating the turntable in the direction indicated by the position of each article, a discharge chute in registration with one of the grooves, and ejector means for feeding the correctly positioned articles from the engaged groove into the discharge chute.

SYLVES'IER C. BAEHR. ALEXANDER D. ROUBLOFF.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Zomnir Jan. 1, 1924 

